University of Vermont Adventure Ropes Course
Healthy risk taking is an integral part of the learning process. We will adapt our activities to meet the needs of individuals and groups. Physical safety and emotional safety take precedence over all individual and program goals. By working with and supporting others in challenging situations, individuals develop leadership, communication, problem-solving and trust-building skills.
Recognizing that healthy risk taking is an important part of the learning process, we subscribe to the philosophy of Challenge by Choice. That is, we encourage but don't require participation in all activities, and we engage participants in helping to manage their own safety and the safety of the group. Individuals choose the level and extent of their own participation. This provides an opportunity to meet potentially difficult or frightening challenges in a supportive and respectful environment, and a chance to back off when pressure and self-doubt become too strong.
Through the Full Value Contract participants agree to create and maintain a safe and respectful atmosphere where participants work together to support individual and group goals. None of these components stands alone; our facilitators use them in concert. Clients sometimes request that we omit one or more of the above components. In these cases we will work with you to discuss how the omission is likely to affect program effectiveness.
We suggest participants warm up slowly to the challenging experiences they face on a ropes course. Although adrenaline rushes are part of what make our course exciting, education is our primary goal. The most successful programs take into account human nature to ensure a group is in the best place to learn and grow. In ropes course programming, mutual support by group members is integral to individual success, and community contribution by all participants is essential to group success.
At the UVM Adventure Ropes Course, our mission is to provide and promote adventure-based, experiential learning and cooperative team-building opportunities for UVM and the surrounding community, utilizing the values and aspiration outlined in UVM's "Our Common Ground": Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice and Responsibility.
Our team utilizes cutting-edge equipment, training methodologies and practices to create customized programs that meet the diverse needs of our clientele.
Some of the more common client groups are business groups, school and youth groups, college groups (staff, faculty and students) and community organizations.
Program elements include: name games (for safety and respectful communication); warm-up activities (to stretch muscles and get a great energy going); and spotting instruction, trust- and problem-solving initiatives (can get to the heart of your group’s dynamics, and can serve as bridges between field games and elements), low and high ropes course elements and belay instruction.
